Can you play any videogame music?

[Fishyash]

I'd never heard this one before, but I have to say I LOVE the left-hand part of that piece. Awesome rhythm. I only started teaching myself piano around 2 years ago, but I completely empathize with the self-criticism as well. There's always those little lingering sections of a piece that I never feel like I can really nail as well as I'd like.

I play the keyboards professionally, there was a really good saying I came across (no idea where it came from):
Ameteurs practice until they get it right; Professionals practice until they can't get it wrong.

Can't get any simpler than that really, it's all about practice, practice and more practice. Sometimes you practice it really slowly (tedious but it works!) You probably already know all of this though...
I've recently lost sight of that, my self-discipline waned after starting college and there was no piano tutor to push me the same way they did in secondary school. That video was made in my college years, and it was only recently I've decided I need to start playing more regularly and trying to push myself again.

And now I really wish I had videos to back up what I am saying/show off mah mad skillz. I don't know. I keep telling myself I'm going to do more videos, but it's difficult for me to get my hands on a camera and I don't really like the way the speakers on my digital piano sound... so... yeah...

You could always try a direct line-in to your computer although you'll need a sound card and/or interface that can handle it. Or if possible get a MIDI cable and DAW (I think are some free ones around), grab some piano sounds (there are free ones out there if the DAW doesn't come with any) and record the sound that way.

I think I can record my piano pretty well now sound-wise, but in regards to video I have an iPhone as my camera...

 

[JagermanXcell]

I'm a special little snowflake who can play the Mortal Kombat theme on piano.
/thread

But no, I should be able to eventually though. Both my stepfather (who can play Reach out to the Truth from Persona 4) and my girlfriend (who can play Midna's Lament from Twilight Princess) are teaching me how to play on the acoustic guitar.

If anything, the first song I want to memorize by heart when I get it down will definitely be Never More from P4.

 

[Byte2222]

Well. Me and my friend organised a game music concert for our university's arts festival last summer. We recruited a 26-piece orchestra, arranged all the music, ran about a dozen rehearsals and I conducted about 40 minutes of music. My friend has stated quite vehemently that he's not doing it again this year but I'm up for giving it another go! (because I'm totally crazy)

We played:
Ballad of the Goddess (Zelda: Skyward Sword), Gusty Garden Galaxy (Mario Galaxy), Pokémon Medley (RBY, GSC) and the Super Mario Bros. Theme for the full orchestra

As well as:
Link Between Worlds Medley (Zelda: Link Between Worlds) for everyone except strings
Skyrim: From Past to Present and Dragonborn and Sonic Megadrive Medley for the strings
Age of Empires Theme (taken from 1, 2 and 3) and Comet Observatory (Mario Galaxy) for the woodwind
Fire Emblem Theme for the brass
Final Fantasy IV Love Theme for strings with piano, flute and clarinet soloists
Still Alive for solo singer and solo piano

I'd offer to share my music but I think it better to point you to my go-to resource: http://www.ninsheetm.us/

I've also played and arranged some other things for fun. I've arranged Battle with Magus from Chrono Trigger, the Boss Theme from Sonic 2 and the Focus Tower's theme from Final Fantasy Mystic Quest for string quartet, Dark World from Link to the Past for brass quintet (got adapted into the medley for my concert) and Bianco Hills from Super Mario Sunshine for flute choir (piccolo, 3 concert flutes, alto and bass) and if I ever get round to finishing them, I have 80-90% complete arrangements of Boomer Kuwanger's Stage from Megaman X and Cosmic Wall from Sonic Adventure 2 for string quartet. I've played all kinds of stuff casually but I played a few things a little more seriously, such as Buoy Base Galaxy and Fire Emblem 2's Final Map Theme on the violin, Hyrule Castle from LttP and Moonsong from Cave Story on the viola and Snowman from the Mother series on the tuba (it's hard...)

Now, for the real question: am I moderately or completely an overachiever

 

[Kontarek]

snip

Yeah I think I fall squarely in the amateur category tbh. Though, I haven't ever had any teachers to guide me; it's been basically just me and whatever internet resources I could find since the beginning. Tricky thing with self-motivation is that it's always an uphill battle, and it's just so much easier to let yourself slide back down into laziness than to keep fighting. So yeah, I've had quite a few dry-spells where I wasn't practicing enough and wasn't really attempting to learn anything new.

This is essentially the same thing that's preventing me from doing any videos; if I had the energy to motivate myself I would be actively seeking out solutions to the two problems I mentioned. Instead, those issues are like barriers with the words "You must put in this much effort to cross" pasted on them in bold, and for the moment I'm just kind of comfortable letting them stay that way. Unfortunately for me, understanding how motivation works and actually getting up and doing stuff are completely different things.

Final Fantasy IV Love Theme for strings with piano, flute and clarinet soloists

That's probably my favorite Final Fantasy track (not sure how much that means coming from a person who's only really played through VII, but I have heard lots of the music at least...). I forgot to include it in my first post but I can actually play a solo piano version of it.

Though, if you really like that track you should check out Uyama Hiroto's remix, as it's all kinds of awesome:

 

[Norithics]

Actually, not only can I play many popular video game tunes, but I was responsible for transcribing a decent amount of them into guitar tablature for Video Game Jam [http://www.videogamejam.com/]. I think my favorite one to play would have to be the Sky Lagoon from Megaman X4. Still stands up as a good tune to this day.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Oh i looove to play game tunes! So far i can;

Ocarina of time:
song of storms (guitar and piano)
Kakariko village (guitar)
Err the owl song...so catchy (guitar)
The desert female pirate area music. Gerudo valley? (guitar)
Song of time (easiest by far)
Majoras mask monkey area theme (guitar)
The main zelda theme (not a fanboy...really!)

Perfect dark's main theme. (guitar)

Mario main theme and dungeon music (guitar)

Sonic green hill zone (guitar an piano)

Halo main theme (i think) piano and guitar.

Am sure im forgetting something but thatll do.

EDIT .oh wait no i recently been doing Nier music from ear on piano. Melancholy much?

If anyone knows the music to the witch sisters in Majoras mask and OOT, plz let me know. Cant find it yet

 

[Shamanic Rhythm]

I can play the Morrowind theme, the original Mario theme, and ages I ago I had a semi-successful crack at jamming along to the music from Civ 3.

 

[Callate]

I learned to play a snatch of Paul McCartney's "No More Lonely Nights" because it was central to the C64 game "Give My Regards to Broad Street".

...Yes, that's kind of weird. So is that there was such a game.

 

[pearcinator]

Here's me playing;

Dire Dire Docks (Super Mario 64)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EQVLVYhh0E&list=UUTRMZzoavEMuLpa8jM72fzg[/youtube]

Gerudo Valley (Zelda: Ocarina of Time)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfQIeTfnX1c&list=UUTRMZzoavEMuLpa8jM72fzg[/youtube]

Nothing Set In Stone (an arrangement of Stone Tower Temple from Zelda: Majoras Mask) [THIS ONE IS PRETTY OLD]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hslA6bdW9ig&list=UUTRMZzoavEMuLpa8jM72fzg[/youtube]

Additionally, I can play 'An End Once and For All' from Mass Effect 3 as well as several other songs not from video games.

You can download them here if you like! They aren't professional but it's only a hobby of mine.

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0Bw5w2vfWAkTmeFNpdGtxN0NGeTQ&usp=sharing